Elephant’s Cracked Tusk Repaired by Indian Dentists

An elephant in the Indian state of Kerala had a cracked tusk repaired in the first operation of its kind as stated by the dentists.

An elephant in the Indian state of Kerala had a cracked tusk repaired in the first operation of its kind as stated by the dentists. The working animal called Devidasan, a twenty seven year old bull elephant was not tranquilized while forty seven tubes of resin were implanted in the crack.

The dentist who carried out the operation, CV Pradeep, told the BBC that the elephant was fully co-operative and appeared much happier once it was all over. Dr Pradeep said that he was able to do the operation after discovering that the crack in the tusk could be tackled using the same method for dealing with cracks in human teeth.

Because of the elephants size x-ray screening was not able to be used as it would have been on humans. Had the crack gone untreated dirt could have caused it to become infected and cause more discomfort than currently felt.

The amount of time that the resin would hold was not certain but it was expected to last for a few years. The elephant is again being used in Hindu festivals.